US workers' groups boycott Infosys, IBM, Manpower

US workers' groups boycott Infosys, IBM, Manpower

Three workers’ groups in the US, with a total member base of little over three million, have boycotted Infosys, IBM and workforce solutions provider Manpower, claiming these companies were excluding locals from job openings in that country.

Bright Future Jobs, Programmers’ Guild and Washington Alliance of Technology Workers are spearheading the boycott, which is supported by the India-based National Organisation for Software and Technology Professionals, which researches Indo-US workers’ issues.

The three groups will encourage their members not to apply for jobs at these companies until these demonstrated employment practices that followed laws prohibiting discrimination, they said in a joint statement.

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Image: A sign advertising jobs is posted along a street in the Brooklyn borough of New York October 23, 2013.Photographs: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

US workers' groups boycott Infosys, IBM, Manpower

“Companies hide these discriminatory practices with false accusations of a talent shortage.

“The only shortage in the technology industry is fair and ethical recruiting and hiring,” Berry added.

An email to the IBM spokesperson remained unanswered and an Infosys spokesperson said it was incorrect to claim the company excluded US workers.

“Today, we are recruiting for over 440 active openings across 20 states in the US. These include 300 openings for professional hires and about 140 openings targeting local, recent MBA graduates to bolster our sales and management consulting teams,” the Infosys spokesperson said.

The boycott comes not long after India’s second largest information technology services company, Infosys, agreed to pay $34 million as settlement in a federal inquiry into ‘systemic visa fraud and abuse’ in bringing temporary workers from India to work in the US in 2013.

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Image: The boycott comes not long after India's second largest information technology services company, Infosys, agreed to pay $34 million as settlement in a federal inquiry into 'systemic visa fraud and abuse' in bringing temporary workers from India to work in the US in 2013.Photographs: Reuters

US workers' groups boycott Infosys, IBM, Manpower

This had fuelled fears the US authorities might probe other Indian infotech services companies, most of whom have significant business in the US, for similar visa misuse.

In 2013, the US’ Department of Justice had fined IBM for violating the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act, when the company placed online job postings for applications and software developers.

The department is even now monitoring IBM for this issue.

In America, Americans first

Bright Future Jobs, Programmers’ Guild and Washington Alliance of Technology Workers leading the boycott, with the support of India-based National Organisation for Software and Technology Professionals

These groups will encourage members not to apply for jobs at IBM, Infosys and Manpower until these demonstrate employment practices that follow laws prohibiting discrimination